Pet Health Blog

Pain management is a major part of our duty to the pets that come through our doors, and we are always on the lookout to find the latest research and therapies available to keep our patients comfortable and healthy.

As part of our mission to provide the best medical care to your pets, our veterinarians regularly attend lectures to stay current with the most current developments in veterinary medicine. ​One of these recent lectures addressed the efficacy of Tramadol (an opioid often used to treat pain) in dogs.Here's what we've learned:

Veterinary researchers recently discovered that dogs lack the M1 nerve receptors responsible for Tramadol's mode of pain control. The study concluded that due to these physiological differences, this medication does not provide the same long-term effects in dogs as it does in humans.

Though Tramadol offers effective control for acute pain, it has shown no bioavailability after 7 days. This means that any extended pain control is simply due to serotonin release (a common side effect of opioids), not the desired proper pain management obtained by blocking nerve receptors.

In light of this new information, the veterinarians at Allegheny North Veterinary Hospital are recommending a different medication for patients that need long-term pain management for chronic conditions:

Amantadine was originally developed as an antiviral medication, but has shown excellent results in treating chronic pain when used in conjunction with NSAIDs (such as Carprofen). It is not an opioid, but instead works by blocking NMDA receptors that amplify persistent pain.

If your pet is currently on Tramadol for chronic pain, please contact us to discuss changing to Amantadine.